Is it normal for pre-schools to have a policy of not changing nappies?

[MegBusset]

I am looking at prospectuses of pre-schools and playgroups for DS to go to next year when he is two, for maybe two or three mornings a week. I've looked at one which states that although children can attend before being potty-trained, the staff will not be able to change nappies and will have to contact a parent to come and do it.

This seems a bit odd how many 2yos can be relied on not to poo in the course of a morning? so wondered if this is par for the course at this kind of place. if it is then obviously I would need to look at a different arrangement for DS who's unlikely to be out of nappies by then!

Hmm it's normal for pre-schools ime to try it, but I thought there was something that said they actually couldn't do it- discrmination?

I think technically they can ask parents to come in and change nappies, but they're on shaky ground if they don't also ask parents of toilet-trained children to come in and clean them up when they've had accidents.

They're not allowed to refuse entry to children who are not toilet-trained.

I think that's standard practice. My ds is toilet trained and I have been told if he has a wee accident they will change his clothes, but if he has a poo accident I will have to come and sort him out.

My ds's new playschool doesn't have the facilities to change nappies either.

Ah now if they don't ahve the facilities theya re on very dodgy ground for disability discrimination reasons and should really look into it ASAP

I see. The thing is that DC2 is due next spring and part of the reason of DS going to pre-school is so that I can have a couple of mornings with just the baby to look after. So if I have to go into the pre-school whenever DS needs a nappy change, it doesn't make it very practical!

It's in a very old church hall. When I say they don't have the facilities, they have no where that they could have a hygenic dedicated changing area. If your child was in nappies and you had to change them then you would have to do it in the toilet which is very small. There is room to lay a child down, but only just.

I've had a quick look and found this:

"Having admitted a child to your setting you need to ensure that the child is well cared for, including changing a child?s nappy and clothing when necessary. Asking parents of a child to come and change a child is likely to be a direct contravention of the DDA, and leaving a child in a soiled nappy for any length of time pending the return of the parent is a form of abuse."

The link is here

This is what the prospectus says:

"If your child is not yet fully dry they may start at pre-school in trainer pants/nappies. However, the pre-school does not have the facilities to change children especially soiled nappies and therefore we may have to contact the parent/carer to change."

Our preschool is happy to change nappies, clean up after an accident etc.

I think it's reasonably common/standard at places that take children from 3+. I've not come across it in a setting that supposedly caters for 2+ before, though (although admittedly I've not done much looking).

Meg, I'd maybe look into a day nursery (that takes babies as well) rather than a pre-school. They won't have any trouble dealing with nappies.

In DD's preschool, they don't even accept children who are still in nappies.

it's only in contravention of the DDA if the child being in nappies is due to their disability though.

Most preschools don't have the right staffing levels to be able to do this - iirc two adults need to be present for nappy change so in a preschool setting where there are only three/four adults this leaves an inadequate ratio for the remaining children.

They are all 3+, though.

This is from Leicester but it is pretty universal.

Gov advice to preschools

"Children should not be excluded from normal pre-school activities solely because of incontinence"

"it is also unacceptable to
refuse admission to other children who are delayed in achieving continence"

"Asking parents of a child to come and change a child is likely to be a direct contravention of the DDA, and leaving a child in a soiled nappy for any length of time pending the return of the parent is a form of abuse."

"If it is not possible to provide a purpose built changing area,then it is possible to purchase a changing mat, and change the child on the floor"

The trouble with day nurseries around here is that they are double the cost of pre-schools. As I'm not going to be working for some time, we wouldn't be able to afford £30+ per morning.

Looks like a childminder may be a better option. I'd just hoped that DS would be able to do all the games and activities that a pre-school would offer.

'DS2's preschool would not take people in nappies FULL STOP. '

oh it would in ths country cali, if that person had SN

I think we are getting mixed up with nursery schools and toddler groups/playgroup are we not?

Our toddler group 2 - 4 has facilities so you can leave the children for 90mins and any accidents are cleaned and nappies changed, but......

State ran Nurserys from aged 3 upwards would I would assume, not take children unless they where potty trained

Seems reasonable to me

If its a day nursey where children go from birth to 5 then yes they should change nappies

Does that make any sense at all

it's not reasonable- t excludes children simply because they are slower in decelopment

All the pre-schools around here (ie playgroup where the children are left) take kids from 2 or 2.5.

No, my preschool takes from 2.6 and has many children still in nappies. There is no requirement for 2 helpers to change a nappy. There is no reason to call back a parent. Insist that they provide adequate care for your child.

I've written about this (and mainstream schools- so even more relevant for pre-schools) aut2bsafe.squarespace.com/journal/2007/5/10/nappies-and-mainstream-schoolsnurseries.html/here

try again- I am messing up links today

Thanks for that link, that's really interesting. I'll have a look at the other local pre-schools and see what their policies are.

fwiw I did^ print out jmam's link..... and lo! the school stopped asking me in